Texas is known for having a robust public school system. And in Houston, particularly, it’s a strong selling point for the thousands of new residents the city’s energy and healthcare sectors attract annually. Thanks to a new program to help certain Houston Independent School District students get free tuition from the University of Houston, that selling point just became even more attractive.
Called the Teaching Forward Houston fellowship, the program is designed with two goals in mind: to provide an opportunity for free tuition and to keep college graduates local.
The stipulations for acceptance and free tuition are simple: after graduating, students are required to teach in a HISD elementary or middle school for four years.
“This program is going to have far-reaching effects,” said Terry Grier, HISD superintendent, in a statement. “Our graduating seniors won’t just have the opportunity to get free college tuition – they’ll have the opportunity to come back and make a difference in the lives of countless children across the district.”
While Grier’s praise of the program is warranted, he leaves out one benefit of the school’s new program that will be especially enticing for real estate agents: it’s another reason to want to move to Houston.
Making Houston Look That Much Better
As we reported recently, Houston is already the top destination for people moving to Texas – a state that attracts more new residents annually than nearly any other state in the country. For agents in the Central Houston area, which defines HISD’s boundaries, the promise of free tuition for students is a serious addition to their selling arsenal.
The particulars of the program are rooted in further improving and ensuring the continued improvement of HISD.
“Together,” the district’s website reads, “(HISD and the University of Houston) are working to ensure our schools are staffed with highly effective teachers who have a vested interest in improving their community through education.”
HISD is currently accepting applications, and upwards of 100 students are expected to enroll (beginning fall 2016).